Passenger vehicles must be capable of withstanding the high forces experienced during collisions. In the United States, vehicles must comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety protocols, which describe, among other specifications, crashworthiness and vehicle integrity standards.
In addition to the standards applicable to conventional, gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles, in electric and hybrid-electric vehicles, it is important to protect the integrity of the battery packs that are used to power the vehicle. Accordingly, a need exists for alternative impact protection structures for vehicles and vehicles incorporating the same.